James R. Edwards

I have quickly become a big fan of the Pillar New Testament Commentary series, of which The Gospel According to Mark by James R. Edwards is the 2nd of the set, which currently comprises 14 volumes (the entire set can be seen here).

Although I've given this volume 5 stars, there are some serious editorial and publishing issues in the Kindle version (I have both Kindle and print versions) which significantly detract from the electronic work. The number of conjoined words is too numerous to list show more (a handful: "Israel'sojourn", Location 1513; "leper'entrance", 1586; "mininstryin", 1781; "orunusual", 2258; "ofthe", 8584; "Hellenisticworld", 8692; etc.). Toward the beginning of the Kindle version, numerous words beginning with "i" have some form of the word "Introduction" erroneously appended to it ("Introductionernal", Location 432; "Introductionerest", 432; "Introductionention", 446; "Introductionerpreter", 460; "Introductiono", 460; etc.). Similarly, in one paragraph spanning Locations 540 - 554, "Quintillian" is represented as "QuIntroductionilian" no less than six times. Other minor typos are far too frequent. However, the abundance of editorial or publishing errors are more of an annoyance and ultimately do not detract from the five stars that I give Edwards' work.

These Kindle-specific editorial and publishing errors get worse. There are four lengthy indices at the end of the book ("Modern Authors"; "Subjects", "Scripture References", and "Extrabibilical Literature"). In the print version, these indices span 38 pages of what looks to be small 9 or 10-point type at the end of the book. In the Kindle version, however, there are no page numbers (or Location numbers) at all, rendering this section useless. Whether this was a conscious decision (due to the fact that this Kindle version has no page numbers per se, but only Location numbers), or an outright error I do not know; still, it deprives the Kindle reader of a very powerful reference and access to Edwards' considerable scholarship.

It is this scholarship that makes the commentary so worthwhile. Opinion is supported with numerous erudite references; alternative views are also presented. Refreshingly, Edwards proves that scholarship is not mutually exclusive from orthodoxy; his theological views can be characterized as conservative. In the Series Preface, editor D.A. Carson sums it up better than I can: "Good commentaries on the canonical Gospels are particularly difficult to write. The demands are considerable: fine historical sense and theological maturity; working with diverse literary genres; a thorough grasp of both Jewish and Greco-Roman backgrounds; a command of the vast secondary literature without letting that literature dictate the agenda or swamp the reader with endless peripheral details. James Edwards meets these challenges admirably. His commentary reflects a lifetime of study, a quality of judgment that is knowledgeable and sure-footed. To all this he adds a quiet reverence for the text that is both appropriate and edifying."

My admiration for this book prompted me to look for a commentary on Luke in the same series; it does not yet exist. But I learned that Professor Edwards was working on it, so I emailed him for some additional information, and he graciously responded. His commentary on Luke is complete, and is in the hands of the editors at Eerdman's; hopefully it will be available this year. So while I await that volume, I've gone ahead and purchased the series commentary on John; and I further purchased Edwards' The Hebrew Gospel & The Development of the Synoptic Tradition, which further bolsters my respect for his scholarship. show less

Edwards does an excellent job surveying the Patristic sources, tracking down the 'Hebrew Gospel', and is persuasive in his suggestion that scholars should distinguish between an early Hebrew Gospel, and a later corrupted text which the church fathers rejected. He also offers powerful evidence that laying behind Luke is that early Hebrew Gospel: the Greek of the Lukan text has a dramatically disproportionate number of Semitisms. Edwards does go on to affirm recent academic developments that show more calls Q into question, but it may be too soon to say adieu to the hypothesis altogether. This text is clearly a major step in Lukan studies and will become required reading any serious student of the Gospel. show less

A fascinating story of someone who has been forgotten not only deliberately by the Soviets but also by everyone else. Here's a story of a devout German Christian who also was a soldier in WWI and WWII. My only complaint is at some points this feels more like a biography of the author rather than Ernst Lohmeyer. Still well worth the read.

In The Gospel According to Mark, Borges successfully reproduces Christ’s story through the tale of a young medical student being forced to go to a ranch by his cousin. Borges effortlessly follows the structure of the Hero’s Journey. Including separation: the medical school, and a couple different roads of trials; the storm, temptress, and reading the English Bible. Borges uses these analytical connections to connect people with his story and express that religion does not need to be show more taken so literally. By reproducing Christ’s story Borges is showing that there are other ways to tell the story. A story can have the same story line and follow the same structure but changing the setting, time period, and narrator, changes a piece of literature. Since Borges modifies these elements, the story is able to relate to other people that the Bible may not relate to. Since this story is not taking place in 28-30 A.D. more people might be able to understand the message since they are not constantly wondering if the author is really writing the words of God. Even though Borges alters the story in some portions the same message is conveyed. Espinosa must sacrifice himself for humanity. show less